Pulse plasma offers significantly more precision in nitriding through the control of the mixture of gases, the controllability of glow-discharge intervals, the design of the pulsed signal and the use of a highly insulated hot-wall nitride furnace. Together with innovations in the design of the furnaces to streamline batch management in nitriding operations, forgers can benefit from dies with superior surface hardness, wear resistance, heat resistance and fatigue strength.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has rapidly evolved since its inception, and investment in AM technology has flourished in both the public and private sectors. This article, the first of two parts, evaluates predictions made in FORGE in 2012 and illustrates some appropriate applications that could affect (or already have affected) forging processes and markets.

Dragon Steel Corp. Ltd., a subsidiary of China Steel Corp. located in Taichung, Taiwan, granted SMS Concast, a company of SMS group, the final acceptance certificate (FAC) for the modernization of its six-strand billet caster. The objective of the revamp was to improve the billet quality for applications including fasteners, welding rod, mechanical components and others. The project, which consisted of an automation upgrade and the introduction of dynamic secondary air-mist cooling (COOL-DSC) as the main modernization measures, has achieved a distinct improvement in product quality in terms of internal structure and surface cracking. 

Andritz received an order from Thyssenkrupp rothe erde (Xuzhou) Ring Mill Co. Ltd. to supply eight chamber forging furnaces for its plant in Xuzhou, China. Thyssenkrupp rothe erde manufactures slewing bearings and seamless rolled rings used in applications ranging from industrial machinery, automotive engineering and aerospace facilities to wind turbines and tunnel-boring machines. Andritz’s scope of supply includes engineering, manufacturing, electrical equipment and automation software. The furnaces will include low-NOx burners that will minimize emissions and fuel consumption. Start-up is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022.

Anhui Anhuang Machinery Co. Ltd. placed an order with SMS group for a fully automatic closed-die forging line for pistons. The 2,500-ton line consists of a fully automatic closed-die forging press and an induction heating system from SMS Elotherm for heating the forging blanks. Anhui Anhuang will be one of the first automotive suppliers in China that is capable of manufacturing pistons for cars and trucks in a fully automated process. Commissioning is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022.

If you’re at all like me, you wonder which articles get the most attention on our website. Every year we publish around 25 feature articles, and at the end of the year we gather statistics to see which ones get the most page views. So, without further ado, here are the five most-viewed articles on www.forgemag.com based on page views. This ranking applies only to articles published in 2020.

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. successfully completed the acquisition of substantially all of the operations of ArcelorMittal USA LLC and its subsidiaries, forming the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America. In connection with the acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA, which includes the interests of ArcelorMittal USA of 60% in I/N Tek L.P. and 50% in I/N Kote L.P., Cleveland-Cliffs also acquired Nippon Steel’s remaining interests of 50% in I/N Kote and 40% in I/N Tek for a total consideration of approximately $183 million. With this additional transaction, Cleveland-Cliffs becomes the sole owner of 100% of I/N Tek and I/N Kote.

United States Steel Corp. exercised its call option to acquire the remaining equity of Big River Steel for approximately $774 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. Big River Steel operates a LEED-certified Flex Mill in northeast Arkansas. The company’s advanced manufacturing technology and skilled operators combined with U.S. Steel’s product development capabilities and intellectual property have allowed Big River Steel to produce 11 advanced U.S. Steel grades.

Greenleaf Corporation of Saegertown, Pa., is a supplier of industrial cutting tools. The company specializes in the manufacture of high-performance carbide and ceramic inserts, tool-holding systems and custom-designed tooling solutions.

The Forging Industry Association (FIA) announced that Forge Fair 2021, North America’s largest forging industry trade show, will be rescheduled to October 26-28, 2021. It was originally scheduled for May 18-20, 2021. The general logistics, schedule and location of Forge Fair 2021 will remain the same. The three-day trade show will take place at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center is the host hotel and will provide discounted room rates to Forge Fair attendees.